In the End
by iluvperoxide
Summary: If I wrote season 7, it would go a little something like this
1. Rude Awakenings

Spike is reminiscing in his past memories as he rides down the street from the bar. There's a nice pile of cigarette butts in front of Buffy's mailbox. He's only been by her house about a dozen times. He comes to a screeching hault. He approaches the door slowly, seeming worried, but it's mostly the buzz he's got going. "Buffy, we need to talk. Some things have happened, that shouldn't have happened. I want to try to explain where I'm coming from with this. I understand if you don't want to talk to me. You probably hate me right now. And you should hate me. I deserve it. In fact, I'd understand if you wanted to just kill me right here right now. Wanna shag? How in bloody hells name am I supposed to win her back with 'I'm sure you hate me.' I might as well hand her the bloody stake and tell her to get it over with. God, she's gonna be the death of me. Well, the second death of me. Dru, the crazy bint, already killed me. But I owe her, because if I wasn't a vamp, I'd never have gotten the chance to meet Buffy. I wonder if she looks the same? Maybe she got her hair cut again, like it was when she was all, being invisible. Wait a minute, I can't let her see me. I don't know if I look good or not. I mean, I always look 'good', but I can't exactly look the mirror and check. Oh, shit. I promised myself I wouldn't do this. I'm not going to make her a big deal, not yet. She doesn't know my secret. By the way, how am I gonna tell her, exactly. Uugghhh, the damned slayer doesn't even know I'm back yet, and I'm already worried about what she thinks of me. I'm drunk and exhausted. I should go home before I make an arse out of myself and knock on the door."  
  
He didn't know that his sudden stop had awoken his sleeping beauty. She forced herself to get up and yawned down the stairs. She opened the door and continued to rub the fuzziness out of her eyes. By the time she could see clearly, all she saw was a bleach blonde riding off on a motorcycle. The thought that she was dreaming paced through her head as she shuffled her bunny slippers up the stairs. She poured herself back into bed, not thinking anything of her "dream".  
  
Buffy! Buffy, wake up! You need to wake up. Wake up," shouted Xander. "Huh. Oh, Good Morning Xander. What's up?" she looked out the window. "Apparently not the sun. Think your wakeup call is early enough?" "You're kidding, right? Didn't you feel that. that shaking, and rumbling, and earthquakieness? Holy potato chips, you slept through it. Well, we don't think it's a normal quake. We think it's one of. demonic proportions. Willow said she was going to get some books and things for a spell to find out what's going on. She should be back in about half an hour."  
  
"Um, yeah, okay. Well, we're at a slight disadvantage, Giles doesn't get back from his vacation for another week. And that means tons of boring research for us while we wait for Willow." "Did you say tons of boring research? Buffy, I'm good at research. I go to school, and all I do is research. Can I help? Please!" asks a hopping Dawn. "I swear those monks must have made a mistake because she did NOT come from me, at least not the research part. But I guess an extra member of the Research Squad wouldn't be too bad. Sure Dawnie, knock yourself out." Dawn lets out a sigh and falls to the ground. "I didn't mean literally" says Buffy while bending over to see what's wrong.  
  
*20 minutes later*  
  
"Xander, call the hospital. She's still unconscious. I hope she's okay. Oh my God! There's a light behind her eyes. She's glowing. from the inside. You don't think she's turning back into the key.do you? Oh God," Buffy sighed as tears started to fall onto Dawn's face.  
  
"Buffy, I think another pipe is broken," Dawn mumbled as she regained consciousness.  
  
"Oh my god, you're okay. I was so worried. But, no more copper repiping." Buffy hugged Dawn. "Xander, tell the hospital that she's conscious. Dawn, do you feel different?"  
  
"Well, I am kinda hungry...I think.my stomach feels weird. But, why would I feel different?" "Dawn, you were glowing before you woke up. I don't know, but I think it might have something to do with the earthquake that happened earlier."  
  
"Okay, Buffy, I told the hospital that she suddenly passed out and than that she regained consciousness about 20 minutes later. They said that it could be something serious, so they are sending the ambulance and that she will most likely have to go to the hospital, just to be safe."  
  
"Okay. Dawn, are you okay with that?" "Um, ya, I just have to call somebody first. I'll be back in a second."  
  
Dawn ran upstairs to her room and called her boyfriend. She had to call him from her room because nobody knew about him, and she was worried that Buffy wouldn't approve. She had been doing that a lot lately. The ambulance showed up and Buffy ran upstairs to get Dawn. She caught the end of their conversation. "Okay, my sister says the ambulance is here. Gotta go, love ya, bye." Buffy makes a face at hearing 'love ya'. But she follows Dawn down the stairs. "Wait a minute, she's walking around, talking, saying she's fine. Why did we have to drive over here? Bruce, I swear, the next time she makes us get somebody that's okay, I'm gonna kill her. We need to have a talk with Joan about who to pick up and who not to pick up."  
  
Buffy and Xander exchange looks. "I feel so confident in our choice of hands to put Dawn in. I mean, they just seem so qualified." "Xander, shut up. We don't know if Dawn needs medical attention or not. And seeing as we can't give her medical attention, it's best we respect the nice EMT people." "How do you know what an EMT is?" "In a Heartbeat. There's this really hot guy named Tyler on the show. But his real name is Shawn Ashmore and he's in Xme." "Uh Buffy, could we save the hot guy talk for later? Cuz right now Dawn is being. did you say Xmen?" 


	2. Unexpected

Spike was worried. He was so used to checking on Buffy after stuff like that. But she didn't know about the soul. She didn't know he was back. "Well, if she's flustered about the earthquake, then I don't want to fluster her more. But she might enjoy having me back. I don't know. She could be perfectly fine, perfectly perfect without me. Well I bloody hell won't let that happen." Spike heard the siren of the ambulance. It was going in the direction of Buffy's house. "Bloody Hell! An ambulance. oh yeah, she's doing just fine. Now I have to go and make sure she's okay." He sped off, following the ambulance. He grew seriously worried when the ambulance continued towards Buffy's house, and didn't turn down another unfortunate street. He stopped for a minute to regroup himself. As hard as he tried, he couldn't stop that one tear dripping down his cheek. He got back on his cycle and continued down the street. When he got there, they put someone in and left. He saw a girl in the window and assumed it was Dawn. He just broke down and cried. As he sucked it up and started to leave, Willow saw him, and vice versa.  
  
"Spike, what's going on? I went to the." "Hush, I don't know. I know they're all in there. But you can't tell them I'm back. I have to tell her. Here's my cell number, call me when you can and tell me what's up. I gotta go or else the sun's gonna catch me. Oh, and why is there blood on your shirt?" "Huh, oh crap! That's some blood, ya. I cut my finger, and I guess it dripped. But about you, 2 things. When and.since when?" "Huh?" "When did you get back, and.since when have you had a cell phone?" Spike sighed, "I got back last night and spent all day yesterday at the bar. And I got a cell phone on my way out of town. I wasn't expecting my stay to be as long as it was. But I have to go. You can't tell her. Call me and let me know what's going on."  
  
Spike rode away while Willow put her supplies in the house. She looked around for a note or something, telling her where they were, but couldn't find one. She decided that they were excused because they had a good reason to forget. Willow decided to change her shirt. She remembered it was her laundry day, so she went in Buffy's room. She opened the closet, only to stumble upon Buffy's Spike shrine. "Oooh, I guess I shouldn't say anything about that either." She had his coat, his nail polish, his lighter, and one of his shirts. Willow realized that when Buffy "went out for a walk", and then came back with 'stuff', that she was looting Spike's crypt. But then remembered how everyone thought he wasn't coming back. She found a Dingo ate my Baby shirt and remembered Oz and how much she missed him. So she swapped it for a striped sweater. She ran outside and hopped in the car. The whole way to the hospital she didn't listen to music. She just talked to herself. About Spike being back and still in love with Buffy, and hoping that no one was injured too bad. But mostly, she wondered where Oz was. She hadn't thought about Oz in a long time. Before she knew it, she was there. She jumped out of the car and headed in.  
  
"Um, I'm wondering if you can tell me where Buffy Summers is." "Are you looking for Miss Summers" 'No, I'm just wondering in case they ask me on a quiz show'*do you ever notice how people ask some stupid questions sometimes* "Yes, can you tell me where she is?" "Um, Buffy Summers isn't checked in here, but." "Oh good. How about Xande. Alexander Harris?" "Well. no, but." "oh, then, oh no. Dawn?!?" "Yes, Dawn. She is checked in here. She's in room 66 on floor 6. I'll buzz in and tell them you're coming. What is your name." Willow used her magic to transport into Dawn's room.  
  
"Xander, I told you, I don't know why Jean Gray doesn't love Wolverine. He seems like a great guy, just rough around the.edges." She thought of her Spike 'dream'. "I don't care. Jean Gray needs to dump Cyclops and. Oh, hi Willow... and go out with. Willow?" "Eh, Jean Gray is nice, but I don't think she's my type." They started discussing Dawn's condition and how the earthquake wasn't normal*are they ever normal*. Willow assumes Dawn has been affected in some way. They start joking more after Dawn fell asleep. "Well Buffy, I think the hospital staff is a bunch of idiots. I'm asking the clerk if you guys are checked in, and she asks if I'm looking for you. I mean, she wasn't under any pressure, like yall were when you didn't leave a note." "Oh, sorry Will, it was kind of a hectic time." "Oh, it's okay. I'm here, right?" "Hey, Will, how did you know we were here? I mean, we didn't leave a note or anything. I don't think we called." Xander has a puzzled look on his face. "Oh, I ran into someone as the ambulance passed by and I noticed you in the window. Which reminds me, I need to call somebody. I'll see you guys in a few minutes."  
  
Willow found a payphone two rooms over, but kept going, to make sure Buffy couldn't hear her talking to Spike. She called and got his voicemail. She couldn't help but giggle. He was a funny guy. "Hello, you've reached my voicemail. Good for you. You deserve a bloody parade. Now, if you have something I actually want to know, then tell me. If not, then leave your message, name, and address and I'll bite you as soon as possible. Thank you and please don't call again. Oh, and leave a message at the *BEEP*" "Oh, hey Spike. This is Willow, at the hospital. You don't need to worry, everybody's okay. Dawn just passed out for 20 minutes so Buffy called the hospital, but Dawn was okay. She was really just being.affected by the earthquake. We have reason to believe it did something supernatural to her. Well, Buffy is looking down the hall at me funny. I gotta go. See ya Spike."  
  
Willow walked down the hall and back into Dawn's room. Buffy kept staring at Willow. "Okay Buffy! I admit it, I know stuff! You stared it out of me. I confess!" "Confess what" Xander and Buffy reply in unison. "Confess, who said anything about confessing?" "Uh, your big charade a second ago. And, I'm staring at you because I think you're wearing my shirt." "Oh, ya. That's what I'm confessing. I went in your closet and borrowed a shirt. Because I got blood on mine." "MY CLOSET! I mean, my closet? Um, why don't we step out and talk for a second, okay Will?" Buffy looked at Will with almost tearing eyes. 


	3. Buffy, I'm home!

Spike was at the bar, drinking away his worries. He was on his seventh beer, when he had to go to the bathroom. It was a lot quieter in there, which caused him to hear his cell phone beeping, telling him he had a voicemail message. "You have one new message, and twelve old messages. *Beep* "Oh, hey Spike. This is Willow, at the hospital. You don't need to worry, everybody's okay ..." He heard the good news and put the phone down and sighed in relief. He could hear the other messages playing, even with the phone down. His sense of happiness melted away to the real worry he felt. "*beep* It's Dawn, Spike, we're doing horrible. Buffy hasn't looked this bad since mom died. As mad as I was at you, I love my sister and she needs you. I realize neither of you want to admit it, but you need each other. I've seen you together, and can tell something was there that isn't here now. I have to go now. I hope you do the right thing. *beep* It's Dawn again. I realize that maybe Buffy isn't your favorite person right now, but I know she misses you. I know I miss you. Come back, please. *beep* "Spike, we miss you. I caught Buffy crying in her room, listening to one of your Sex Pistols tapes. I think she really misses you. Oooh, she sees me. Bye. *beep* Xander tried to hook her up with one of his friends, but she told him that she was too sick to go. Every time I see her, I swear, she looks like a zombie. She doesn't try hard with anything anymore. She lets me patrol with her now, and I do most of the work. After we patrol, she'll go lock herself in her room and cry. I'm worried. Spike, come back, please. *beep*" Spike turned the phone off. He decided that he'd waited long enough. No one was injured. He could show up and it would be okay. He took off for the hospital.  
  
Buffy and Willow walked out into the hallway. Buffy closed the door. "You know. You know I love him. You found it first." Buffy started to cry. "It's okay Buffy. We kinda knew you felt something. We'll learn to live with it. It's not that big of a deal." Willow put her hand on Buffy's shoulder, trying to comfort her. Buffy pulled her hand away. "It's not okay. It's never going to be okay. I let him get away with trying to rape me. I still love him, and I understand why he did it. But that's not even what I'm upset about. I'm upset that he's never coming back. I made him leave because I couldn't admit that I love him, and now he's gone forever." Buffy collapsed on the floor, with Willow kneeling down with her. They sat there for a minute, just crying. Even Willow started crying; crying for Buffy, crying because she felt the same way about Tara. and Oz. Then Spike showed up and walked down the hall. He saw them lying on the floor. He looked worried. Willow saw him, but Buffy was crying so hard, she didn't notice. Willow telepathically told Spike what was wrong. "Spike, she misses you and thinks you're gone for good. Now isn't the time for you to show up. You need to get out of here before she notices you're here. She isn't ready just yet." Spike was filled with a sort of grief, but he couldn't help but smile when he realized she did want him back. He walked over to the elevator. Buffy heard the elevator and wiped her eyes and looked over, only to catch Spike walking in. "Willow, I'm seeing him everywhere. I could have sworn that was him getting into the elevator right there, and when we were driving away in the ambulance. And I had a dream that was so lifelike. I could have sworn I went outside and saw him ride away. It even smelled like smoke, his smoke. I need to go home. Dawn is okay, lets check out and go home." Willow nodded, and helped her get back up. They woke up Xander and Dawn, and slowly left the hospital.  
  
Back at home, Buffy spent about an hour with Dawn, lifeless as usual, but she wanted her sister to know that she was there. She went upstairs, and Xander and Willow took over and entertained Dawn, as it normally was. She was in her room crying a lot. She had become quite the Sex Pistols fan since Spike left. After about 2 hours, Will called Spike's cell. He picked up this time. "Hello?" "Hey, Spike? It's Willow" "Oh, hi Willow, what's up? Caller I.D. says you're at home. Where's Buffy? Is she okay?" "Spike, I know you want her to know you're back. It's just a waiting game." There was a moment of silence. "Spike, do you love her?" "Do I love her? Of course I love her. That's why I came back. That's why I got a sou." Spike regretted starting that sentence. "You got a .what? You got a S-O-U-L! Oh my god. You got a soul for her. Was it hard to get?" "It was hell. I got pretty beaten up. Let's just say, I got it in a month, and I've waited another month so I could heal up before I came back. Willow, I'm coming over. Don't tell her. I've got a surprise for her. I'll be there in a few minutes. Act normal." "Okay Spike, good luck. I'll see you soon. Come in the back door. She won't hear if you come in the back door. C ya." Spike gathered his souvenirs and hopped on his cycle. He was going to see his woman.  
  
Willow walked into the living room. "Guess who I just talked to? Give up! Spike." "O my God! Spike called? Is he here? Is he back? Is he coming back?" "Shhh. We have to be quiet about it. Buffy doesn't know. He says he's going to surprise her." "Oh great. We all know what happened the last time he tried to surprise her." Xander looked concerned. "Xander, he's changed." "They all say that. How do we know he isn't ." "He got a soul for her." "Awww. See Xander, he did change. Willow, when is he coming?" "He's at his crypt. He's leaving now."  
  
Spike rode faster now than he had ever ridden. He was so anxious. When he got there, he picked up the gifts he had gotten from Africa for everyone. He walked into through the back door. Dawn, ran over to him and gave him a big hug as he struggled with closing the door and not dropping the gifts. "Dawn, I missed you too. I would have come sooner, but I wanted to be healthy and strong so I could take the welcoming abuse." "Oh, sorry" Dawn loosened her grip. Spike grabbed a little package. "Here niblet, this is for you." She impatiently opened the box to find a little necklace. It was big and pretty. "Spike, I love it." She motioned for him to put it on her. She ran to the bathroom to see how it looked, and everyone followed. Spike frowned at his un-reflection, sort of hoping it would be there. Willow and Xander went to leave as Spike pulled out another box. "Willow, I thought of you when I saw it." She opened the box to find a beautiful fox statue, the same shade of red as her hair. "It's beautiful. I love it. Thank you Spike." She leaned in and gave him a light hug. Xander now looked pissed. Of course, everyone got something but him. "Oh, and Harris, this is for you." He found a bottle with a powder in it. "Wow, some powder. I'm a lucky fella." "Read the instructions." Spike pulled the instructions out of the bottom of the box. "Cool! Good luck powder. Thanks Captain Per . Spike." Xander had a smile on his face, which was rarely brought out by Spike. Spike made his way to the stairs. "Good luck" Willow and Dawn called to Spike, who made a strange face. "Uh, guys? Since when has Buffy liked the Sex Pistols?" "Since you left. We assume it reminds her of you." "Oh."  
  
Spike was nervous. He tried to focus on the music, to make him less nervous, but he even told himself, that if it had a heart, it would be beating a million beats a second. He walked up to her door, just away enough so that she couldn't tell he was there. It was that moment that he was glad he didn't breath, because he was close enough to hear every word she said, but she couldn't hear him. He planned his entrance down to the smallest detail. "I'm so stupid. I'm an idiot. I let him get away. It's all my fault. I lost the one thing that was special to me. I'm an idiot." She was crying. Spike positioned himself directly centered in her doorway. She didn't look up. He started to sing, "I think you're smart, you sweet thing. Tell me you're glad, I'm dying here." She wiped her eyes and looked up. She couldn't believe her eyes. She jumped up and wrapped her arms around him, almost not believing that he was really there. He returned her embrace. She threw him on the bed and passionately kissed him. He returned it, only to have her pull away. "Spike, I've missed you so much. Can you do mea favor?" "Anything for you, Luv." "Could you just hold me?" He wrapped his arms around her, whispering "I've got you where I want you." 


End file.
